My Name is Tiberius
by Dewy eyes
Summary: Desperation leads to drastic measures. AU in which Captain John Harrison takes the Enterprise on a manhunt for one James Kirk. Loosely follows Into Darkness.
1. Prologue

-Prologue-

Ty had dreamed of a world where he could be himself, without prejudice, without expectations. Without being thrust into a position of leadership and left to fend for himself.

They woke him up 300 years too early.

His dream was shattered beyond recognition. All he had left were the shards of a family. And then they stole that, too.

They caged him. Studied him. Threatened him. Nearly destroyed him.

What was left of him, they forced to work. He designed weapons for them. He did covert work for them. He assassinated people for them. God, he _killed_ for them. It made him want to puke.

But Ty didn't have a choice. His family's lives were at stake.

He'd been working on the design of a new photonic torpedo model, balancing the surface area with the volume of explosives inside, when he'd realized how much extra room he had inside. And what shape that extra room had.

It was risky, a much bigger risk than he should be willing to take.

But if it worked, his family would finally be safe.


	2. Chapter 1

-Chapter 1-

The lush patio was a haven of verdant ferns and stone-colored walls. It was easy to forget there was a sterile hospital corridor just inside the doors.

Leonard hated leaving Joanna, but he could only stand the presence of his ex-wife for so long without a break. Normally Jocelyn was at least tolerable, but after three goddam weeks, with Jo hurt like this...

He buried his head in his hands. God, Jo.

_He was picking her up from school. Her big, bright smile... There was a car turning the corner, gleaming silver in the sunlight, going way too fast... _

_Her blonde ponytail was splayed gracefully on the dark pavement. Someone was screaming over and over, "Oh my God. Oh my God." Her hot pink shirt was stained scarlet. _

_He watched the car turn the corner and disappear into the afternoon. __His baby girl... And the bastard didn't even pause... _

__He held her broken body in his arms, watched his tears intermix with her crimson blood...__

_Then the sirens started. _

_He was a doctor, a goddam doctor, and he couldn't even save his own daughter... _

_They told him to–_

Leonard was suddenly aware he was being watched. He turned to see a young blonde man with piercing blue eyes.

"What're you looking at?" he snapped.

The man's gaze was compassionate, but a turbulence lay underneath. "Your daughter," he said carefully. "She's...very important to you, isn't she?"

"She means the world to me," Leonard responded huskily before leveling a suspicious glare at him. "How do you know about that?"

The man hesitated, as if making a decision, before his mouth set itself in a hard, determined line. "I know how to save her."

Leonard frowned, splitting a dubious look between the man and the door.

"Listen," the man said, "I'm not trying to poison her or contaminate her or something. I just want to help."

"Why?" he asked bluntly.

"Look at you," the man replied. "You're nothing but skin and bones. You've been here, what? Twenty days? You look like death warmed over. Your ex is blaming you, and you're beginning to blame yourself, too. This isn't how it's supposed to be. Families just shouldn't be broken like this."

"How the hell do you know all this?" he questioned sharply.

"Never mind that. Just take my help. It'a a free gift of the heart. Or are the people of this century too distrustful for simple hospitality?"

Leonard turned away, scowling at the green countryside. When he looked up again, the man was still standing there. The turbulence in his eyes had risen to the surface.

"Who the hell are you?" Leonard asked.

The man smiled wanly. "You can call me Jim. Jim Kirk."


	3. Chapter 2

-Chapter 2-

_One month later _

Leonard sat in the hard subway seat, watching the tunnels rush by. He'd always liked tunnels. They were solid, closed-in. They felt safe. Not at all like where he was headed.

He hated Starfleet.

Damn Jocelyn. Of course, as soon as Jo came home (into _her_ custody) she sued him for everything he had left. Which wasn't much to begin with, after the first custody trial. Apparently he had been irresponsible by letting Jo get hit by that car. And of course since she had all that money, _his_ money, her goddam lawyer was able to twist everything he said into an goddam accusation. It really made him mad.

He ended up without a house, without a car, without a penny to his name. And he still couldn't see Jo.

Hell, all he had left was the 'Fleet. Wasn't that a cheerful thought.

The subway stopped to pick up a few more people. Not many riding at one in the morning. Which was why he was completely unprepared for someone to plop down next to him and announce, "Well, if it isn't Mr. Skin-and-Bones himself."

Leonard turned, and was met with a smirking face and turbulent blue eyes. "Oh. It's you."

"What? That's all the thanks I get?" Jim Kirk said playfully.

"Yep. That's it," he replied shortly.

Jim nodded, as if he'd anticipated that, but still seemed a bit disappointed. "Hm. Somehow I expected a little more out of you, 'Bones."

"Yeah?" Leonard responded bitterly. "Well, how about this: _Thank you._ You saved Jo and got me a lawsuit." Jim's bright gaze held steady as the subway slowed again. "My damn ex thinks I tried to poison my own daughter, and promptly took everything I own in compensation, including my custody rights! And after what you did to me, you have the nerve to ask for a _thank you_?!"

Leonard's voice had risen in pitch and volume, drawing stares from several other passengers, but he didn't care. "Who the _hell_ do you think you are?! You waltz in like you're doin' me a big favor, tellin' me all this bullshit about families, and swagger on out like you owned the place! Well, I'm tellin' you, man, _you don't_."

With a disconcerting stillness, Jim simply nodded.

When the doors opened a few seconds later, he rose and, sending one last unreadable look over his shoulder, exited the subway, leaving Leonard with a hollowness he didn't understand.


	4. Chapter 3

-Chapter 3-

When Leonard walked into Transporter Room 3 he almost walked right back out again. He'd known he wouldn't be the only new assignment, but he didn't expect a bunch of bouncy cadets.

He took a seat on the far side of the room and placed his gray duffel in his lap.

Leonard didn't like transporters. They tore your body apart, molecule by molecule, and pieced you back together again. Didn't really understand why _anyone_ would like that. Not even all these eager kids, fresh out of the Academy.

Reassigned to a ship full of green cadets. Leonard resisted the urge to glare at the nearest one, a giggly redhead in blue – _she better not end up in my sickbay_ – and instead directed his attention to a coolly composed woman. She at least seemed to be past adolescence. Her light blonde hair was cut in an attractive bob.

Seeming to notice his gaze, she turned and introduced herself. "Carol Wallace, Weapons Specialist."

"Doctor Leonard McCoy," he replied in turn. "I'll be the new Chief Medical Officer. At least if I survive the next few minutes."

She smiled. "I was surprised there were so many fresh cadets. But I suppose the _Enterprise_ would have first pick of incoming talent." Her voice reminded him of a creek in early spring – fresh, cold, clear – but muted somehow. "I've heard a lot about Captain Harrison. I'm rather excited to be serving under him."

"Yeah?" Wallace didn't seem to be carrying any baggage. Well, except the PADD she was fiddling with nervously in her lap.

"Don't tell me you didn't do your research, doctor," she teased. The PADD turned round and round on an invisible axis before flipping over and doing the same on the other side.

"I didn't even look at his bio," he responded, half jokingly and half sheepishly. "Never had the time." Not between the drinking, and the worrying, and the hangovers, and whatever else.

"He's somewhat of an enigma," said Wallace, seeming to search for words. "He's calm in a crisis. Very good diplomat." She paused. "That's about all it really said. I suppose it will be an adventure of sorts."

"Huh." Leonard wasn't sure about that. He preferred straight truth to all this mysterious whatnot.

But before he could voice an opinion, a man entered and took his place behind the console and began barking instructions.

"First load, transfers. On deck, new engineers. Come on, move it!" The man snapped at the cadets, before turning to Leonard and Wallace with a sympathetic smile. "You two can go ahead."

Wallace stepped onto the transporter pad, hugging her PADD to her chest. Leonard followed, not without a suspicious scrutiny of the operator. He clenched his fists and hoped he wasn't as pale as he felt.

"Energizing."

The world faded into blurry shatters of sensation. For barely a fraction of a second, there was nothing. Then he found himself in a metallic black and silver room.

"Rematerialization complete." A young crewman gave them a quiet smile before turning his attention back to the instruments.

"Hello!" A woman beamed at them from beside the console. "Welcome to the _Enterprise_. I'm Ensign Lana Peal. I believe the captain is waiting to meet you in his ready room. Just follow me."

As the two trailed Peal out of the transporter room, Leonard leaned over to Wallace and whispered, "Didn't think we'd be in trouble already."

She smiled, but it was a bit forced. Another glance revealed tense movements and an anxious blue gaze. Hm.

It seemed Harrison wasn't the only enigma around here.


	5. Chapter 4

-Chapter 4-

Footsteps echoed hollowly through the white corridors: Ensign Peal's confident heels smartly clicking against the floor, Wallace's more subdued steps, and Leonard's own tread.

Peal was chattering animatedly about the various places they were passing, and Leonard put in a word now and then, but for the most part he was taking in the ship. Occasionally another officer would pass the little tour group, acknowledging them with a smile or a crisp nod, but the ship was fairly quiet on the higher decks.

They entered a turbolift.

"Bridge," Peal told the computer before turning to the two others. "So what do you think about the _Enterprise_?"

"I'm gonna have to hold off judgement till I see my Sickbay," Leonard told her.

She smiled. "Don't worry, I'm sure Dr. M'Benga is keeping it in working order until you get there. What about you, Lt. Wallace?"

"It's much larger than I expected," she admitted.

"You get used to it," Peal assured her. "I was only assigned here a few weeks ago, and I'm already showing people around the ship. And I have a _horrible_ sense of direction."

Leonard somewhat doubted the validity of that statement, but he didn't get a chance to respond because the turbolift doors opened, revealing a flurry of activity.

People were sitting at consoles, delivering datapadds between the Bridge and the rest of the ship, standing at attention, discussing various issues with serious expressions on their faces. Peal deftly weaved through the chaos. Before he knew it, Leonard found himself standing in front of the captain's ready room. Peal straightened her back and rang the bell.

"Come," a reply came. Leonard took a deep breath and followed the others into the office.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. PADDs were stacked neatly on a desk. To one side a porthole displayed a myriad of stars and planets. And standing in front of him was a lean man wearing the gold command uniform.

"Captain John Harrison," the man introduced himself.

"Leonard McCoy," he said in turn, taking Harrison's proffered hand and shaking it. Leonard didn't miss the way the man's dark, calculating eyes flicked over each of the newcomers.

After everyone had been introduced and the proper pleasantries exchanged, Harrison dismissed Ensign Peal and opened up a file on one the stacked PADDs.

"I assume you've both been briefed on the situation?" he asked.

Leonard shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

"Hm." Harrison hummed, quizzically cocking his brow before laying the PADD to the side and steepling his fingers. "Are you aware of the terrorist attack on Starfleet Headquarters?"

Wallace nodded. Leonard kept silent. He'd heard that it happened, but not much more.

"This is the perpetrator, a man named James Kirk." Harrison turned the PADD towards them. A photo was displayed, of a man in dark clothes.

A man with turbulent blue eyes.


	6. Chapter 5

-Chapter 5-

Leonard's mind whirled. That guy...James Kirk...was a terrorist? But–

"Doctor?" Harrison said.

Leonard quickly slackened his face, hoping the shock he felt didn't show, and feigned innocence. "Yes, captain?"

The man only held his gaze a bit longer than necessary before continuing his debriefing.

"He was a commander, working in Intelligence." His eyes, his voice, were hard and dark and deep. Leonard felt Harrison's observations clinging to him with a scientist's curiosity. He felt like a specimen pinned to a card.

"We have received a payload of experimental photon torpedoes. Wallace, I need you to be prepared to fire them at all times. McCoy, I need Sickbay on standby for casualties."

"Sir?" Leonard asked, caught off guard, before biting his tongue and wishing he hadn't drawn more attention to himself. But Harrison seemed to have anticipated his question.

"One of my officers discovered a transwarp beaming device in the wreck of his shuttle," he said. "The coordinates were set for Kronos."

_A transwarp what? _Leonard wanted to ask, but the second part of Harrison's statement was even more troubling.

"Kronos?" Wallace bit her lip. "If he's sheltering with the Klingons, it could mean interstellar war. Are we going to–?"

Harrison interrupted. "We will do whatever is necessary."

Her blue eyes were wide and worried, but Leonard saw something firm up behind her expression, like she had come to a decision.

"Very well, sir," she said.

"Dismissed," Harrison nodded, studying Leonard a bit longer before dropping his gaze back to the PADDs on his desk and going back to his work.

Leonard exited the dim office half in a daze. Peal was waiting outside to lead him to his Sickbay, but he waved her off, telling her he could find it on his own. He didn't really pay much attention as she instead jabbered away to Wallace. He needed to think.

On his way out, he noticed a pair of dark eyes follow him into the turbolift. They were calculating, like Harrison's, but warmer, more organic. A Vulcan.

The Vulcan didn't avert his gaze, so Leonard gave him a nod.

Suddenly he looked away, studying his instrument panels intensely. Hm.

The turbolift doors closed on the realization that he'd left his bourbon in his apartment.


	7. Chapter 6

The doors to his Sickbay slid open. It was only a moment before a man approached him. "I'm Geoffrey M'Benga," he introduced himself. "You must be Dr. McCoy."

"Yep," he replied.

"I hope you'll be satisfied with the place," he said, gesturing around at the various faculties. "I can't give you a tour at the moment, as I have a patient to tend to, but you are free to look around, and welcome to take up command if you'd rather start right away."

"Seems you've done a fine job," Leonard replied, and he meant it. The Sickbay was spotless. Everything had a place, and everyone had a job. Nurses were organizing hyposprays and signing PADDs. Around the corner Leonard found M'Benga wrapping a patient's calf.

"If I've told you once, I've told you a million times," M'Benga was saying. "You've got to do _all_ your stretches before you fence!"

"Yeah, I know," the man on the biobed said sheepishly.

M'Benga shook his head before noticing the doctor standing in the doorway. "Dr. McCoy, this is Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, helmsman. Sulu, this is Doctor Leonard McCoy, our new CMO."

"Hello."

"Howdy." They shook hands.

Sulu's gaze flicked over him appraisingly – not with criticism, but simply with observation. More than Leonard could say for a lot of people, but he still felt a little uncomfortable.

"There you are," M'Benga finished wrapping. "Sorry I can't do more."

"Not a problem," Sulu responded.

The ship shuddered, and Leonard recognized it as the jump to warp.

"Looks like Bailey's taking us out," M'Benga observed.

"I'd better get to the Bridge," said Sulu. "It was nice to meet you, Dr. McCoy."

He nodded as the man made his exit.

So they were headed to Kronos, to kill or imprison a criminal who saved his daughter and killed a bunch of Starfleet personnel, possibly starting an interplanetary war in the process.

That wasn't confusing at all, now was it?


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Leonard spent the next couple of hours figuring out the organization of his Sickbay, meeting his nurses (including that giggly redhead, who so far was actually somewhat professional), and doing general CMO whatnot. Most of the time, his mind is fully engaged in his work. But occasionally it wanders to a pair of turbulent blue eyes, and the mystery behind them.

His hand suddenly wobbled, and a hypospray skittered across the floor. The redhead glanced at him, but didn't comment. Leonard almost wished she would.

Then reality slapped him in the face. What the hell was he thinking? He couldn't let any of this spill. First thing that'd happen when it got back to Harrison, he'd end up in the Brig, interrogated or something. It wouldn't take much to get the captain's guard up. Then he'd never see Jo again.

He shook his head to free the cobwebs. He needed a walk.

"I'll, uh, be right back," he told the redhead. She nodded silently.

He exited, letting all the thoughts he repressed surface. Jocelyn, Wallace, M'Benga, Harrison – and Jim. There's something they weren't telling him, something that ran a lot deeper than terrorism or custody cases. It was all interconnected, he was sure of it. He just had to–

"Oof." Leonard jolted from his thoughts.

"I am sorry, mister! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," a kid, couldn't be more than a teenager, sheepishly apologized.

"No, it was my fault. Don't worry about it." He looked the kid up and down, noticing his red shirt and rank insignia. "You're in engineering?"

"Chief Engineer, actually. I started just this morning." He beamed.

Leonard's stomach fell. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen on Tuesday, sir," he replied, far too chipper.

"How are you Chief Engineer?" he gaped.

"Well, I was Chief Navigator, but the other Engineering Chief quit because Security wouldn't give him the blueprints for the top-secret experimental photon torpedoes, and the captain sided with Security."

Leonard couldn't decide which was worse: the kid driving or tinkering. But he only nodded.

"Oh! I haven't introduced myself!" He drew himself up as straight as he could. "Ensign Pavel Andreievich Chekov, sir."

For what must've been the fifth or sixth time today, Leonard introduced himself and shook hands.

"I must be going soon, I am sorry," Chekov said, worry replacing his enthusiasm. "My department will be needing me for the stop."

Leonard watched as he scurried away, curls bouncing. Then he turned and began to make his way back to his Sickbay.

The redheaded nurse is still sorting hyposprays. She nodded a greeting and he returned it. Maybe this was a better idea, sorting hypos till it was over. No thinking, no dilemmas, no Jim Kirk.

The ship shuddered as it came out of warp. The stop.

Leonard took a deep breath. They had arrived.

* * *

Hi all! I just wanted you to know, it might be a couple of weeks until the next update because of the craziness of Christmastime. I will certainly try to find some time to write! In the meantime, please drop me a review or two. Or if you're in a Chekov mood, check out my fic A Smattering of Chekov. Merry Christmas!


	9. Chapter 8

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for sticking with the story, and sorry about the break – it was longer than I meant it to be. (Thanks, flu.) Anyway, the story will begin to ramp up from here on through. . .

* * *

-Chapter 8-

The next thing Leonard knew, he was halfway down the hallway, the redhead's startled gaze echoing behind him.

He was never, _never_ one to act on impulse. He'd felt like something had grabbed by the scruff of his neck and yanked him into action.

Honestly, he had no clue what he was doing, or where he was going. Two thoughts pounded together in his brain, a dissonance of fear and resolve.

He had to stop them from killing Kirk. It was wrong, and Harrison knew it. And yet Leonard remembered the turbulence in the man's eyes.

Skidding to a stop in the turbolift, Leonard's thoughts whirled. He couldn't reconcile the man who saved his daughter with the man they claimed had tried to murder a roomful of admirals. It didn't make sense.

As soon as the doors slid open, Leonard was across the Bridge and in front of the captain's ready room, with very little idea as to what was going to do. He pressed the button.

"Come," the reply came. Hesitantly he entered, trying to press purpose into every movement of his body.

The man looked up, his piercing gaze landing on Leonard.

"Captain Harrison?"

"Yes?" the captain asked expectantly, a hint of surprise in his voice. "What can I do for you, doctor?" His voice was cold, but not icy.

A deep breath. "I request permission to join you on the away team to Kronos."

To his credit, Harrison barely blinked. "May I ask your reasoning?"

Another deep breath. "Respectfully, sir, I think I can be of use."

"You haven't told me everything you know about James Kirk," Harrison said in a tone of observation.

"No, I haven't, sir."

"May I ask why?" Harrison raised a brow, detached curiosity coloring his eyes.

"I...think I can be of use on this mission, sir. I don't have any diplomatic skills or anything, but I certainly can help out as far as medical things go." Leonard paused, surveying the captain's expression before taking a risk. "You're taking Lieutenant Sulu to the surface with you, I assume?"

A cool gaze met his. "I was considering it."

"Then you must be aware of his physical condition."

"I have been informed he can adequately pilot the shuttle."

"He can, but it's a little risky, depending on the shuttle you take. If you wouldn't mind allowing me to tag along, I can keep an eye on him. And, if it comes down to the wire I can handle myself in a fight."

Harrison continued regarding him for a moment, long enough to make Leonard want to shift uncomfortably, but he held the man's gaze.

"My first officer Spock is leading the away mission. Whatever decision he makes I will stand by." He turned his attention to a PADD. "Dismissed."

Leonard nodded and left, scanning the Bridge for anyone wearing the Cmdr. pips.

Once he located them, on the collar of a blue uniform, he half-laughed. Figured the first officer would be a Vulcan.


	10. Chapter 9

-Chapter 9-

The Vulcan was leaning over a console, his dark eyes fixed on the screen in front of him. Leonard felt he was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place him.

Approaching the man, he allowed his gaze to harden ever so slightly. If he was going to get anywhere with this guy, he was going to need to be bold.

"What is it, doctor?" Spock said without taking his eyes from his instruments.

"Are you Cmdr. Spock?" Leonard asked.

"Yes," he replied in the same monotone. "And you are Dr. Leonard McCoy."

"Um, yeah." That threw him off for a second before he realized his bio was sent ahead. Vulcan eidetic memory and all, he probably already memorized it. "I'd like to request permission to accompany the away team."

Now Spock looked up. "What function do you wish to perform?"

It took a second to process what he was asking. "I figured with Lt. Sulu on the mend, I could keep an eye on him, for one thing. I don't know much about flying a shuttle or diplomacy, but I can hold my own in a fight."

Even to his own ears, the request sounded weak, but to his surprise Spock didn't immediately say no. Instead he studied him with the same sort of practical curiosity Sulu and Harrison had. Now Leonard recognized him – he was the Vulcan who'd stared at him before, when he'd first met Harrison.

Spock nodded once. "Meet in the transporter room in thirty minutes. I will brief you further once all away team members have assembled."

"Alright, I'll be there," Leonard found himself saying before turning and heading for the turbolift.

God. He'd really done it. A wave of fear washed over him like a swell of stagnant seawater. Why had Harrison and Spock allowed him on the away team? Did they know? They couldn't know. He hadn't told anyone.

He forced the thought down as the turbolift opened. He could deal with that later.

Now, he thought as he stepped into the cargo bay, he needed to do some investigating.

* * *

Reviews are always greatly appreciated.


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